The Falcoholic - Falcons vs. Panthers 2015: Complete Game CoverageFalcons News, Analysis & Tomfoolery For and By Fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/21944/falcoholic-fave.jpg2015-12-18T08:00:06-05:00http://www.thefalcoholic.com/rss/stream/96399352015-12-18T08:00:06-05:002015-12-18T08:00:06-05:00Falcons-Jaguars game info
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<p>It has come to this. </p> <p>There's no more "win or go home" narrative to lean on, no high stakes within the division to motivate you to watch this. There's just your favorite football team, scuffling mightily, trying to find a piece of driftwood to cling to on this vast ocean of terrible football they've found themselves in. The Jaguars, meanwhile, just hung 51 points on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a>, and appear to be figuring this thing out. This could be ugly.</p>
<p>Yet I imagine you'll watch it, or at least sneak a look at the television out of the corner of your eye a few times, and when you do, we'll be here. We have no choice, really. If you are going to watch this game with us, everything you need to know can be found below.</p>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 32px; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Sentinel SSm A', 'Sentinel SSm B', Georgia, serif; color: #292929;">Falcons-Jaguars game info</h3>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 32px; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Sentinel SSm A', 'Sentinel SSm B', Georgia, serif; color: #292929;"></h3>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph3" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Game time: </b><span>Sunday, December 20, 1 p.m. EST</span></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph4" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Location: </b><span>EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida</span></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph5" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">TV Channel: </b><span>FOX</span><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"></b></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph6" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Radio: </b><span><a data-ref-index="3" target="_blank" href="http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/station/92-9-the-game/" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26; font-weight: bold;">92.9 The Game</a><span> </span>(Wes Durham and Dave Archer)</span></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph8" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"></b></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph8" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Online Stream: </b><span>Can't give you any legal, live streams, but <a data-ref-index="4" target="_blank" href="https://www.nfl.com/gamepass" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26; font-weight: bold;">NFL Gamepass </a>offers a live audio stream of the Wes Durham and Dave Archer call, and is your best option for watching the games afterwards. <a data-ref-index="5" href="http://www.directvdeals.com/nfl-sunday-ticket/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26; font-weight: bold;">DirecTV also has NFL Sunday Ticket</a>, which is worth checking out.</span></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph9" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Announcers: </b><span>Dick Stockton, <span>David Diehl</span>, Kristina Pink</span></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph10" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Injury Report: </b><span>We'll know more today. </span><span class="sbn-auto-link"></span></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph11" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Odds: </b><a data-ref-index="8" target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/odds" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26; font-weight: bold;">Falcons are underdogs<br style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"></a></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph12" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Prediction: </b>Falcons lose, 35-24</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph13" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Opposition Blog: </b><a href="http://www.bigcatcountry.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Big Cat Country</a></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph14" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Twitter: </b><a data-ref-index="10" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TheFalcoholic" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26; font-weight: bold;">@TheFalcoholic</a></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph15" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Facebook: </b><a data-ref-index="11" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/TheFalcoholic?ref=bookmarks" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26; font-weight: bold;">www.facebook.com/TheFalcoholic</a></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"> </p>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 32px; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Sentinel SSm A', 'Sentinel SSm B', Georgia, serif; color: #292929;">2015 Atlanta <a data-ref-index="12" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons" class="sbn-auto-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26;">Falcons</a> schedule</h3>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 32px; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Sentinel SSm A', 'Sentinel SSm B', Georgia, serif; color: #292929;"></h3>
<p id="paragraph17" class="pgh-paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Week 15: @<a data-ref-index="14" href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/" class="sbn-auto-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26;">Jacksonville Jaguars</a>, 1 p.m., Sunday, December 20<br style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Week 16: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a>, 1 p.m., Sunday, December 27<br style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Week 17: <a data-ref-index="15" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #dc1f26;">Saints</a>, 1 p.m., Sunday, January 3</b></p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/18/10068394/falcons-vs-jaguars-week-15-game-time-tv-schedule-live-online-streamDave Choate2015-12-16T11:04:04-05:002015-12-16T11:04:04-05:00Talking Falcons and draft on the podcast this week
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<figcaption>Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The FalcFans/Falcoholic podcast returns with a small dose of holiday cheer.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> have taken a swan dive off a short pier and into an infinite ocean of sadness, but we're not gonna stop talking about them. Enter your stalwart hosts <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/falcfans">Aaron Freeman</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/Allen_Strk">Allen Strk</a>, who once more will take you through this team's fortunes and their performance last Sunday.</p>
<p>This week, the two are joined by Falcons and draft analyst <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/TMeltonScouting">Tom Melton</a>, and the discuss ranges from linebacker prospects in next year's draft to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jaguars</a>' imposing offense. Allen and Aaron also touch on Ryan Schraeder's long-term future, William Moore's dwindling days as an Atlanta Falcon, and Chipotle. Weirdly enough.</p>
<p>Enjoy the podcast, friends. We'll be talking offseason soon enough.</p>
<h3><a target="_blank" href="http://falcfans.com/falcfans-podcast-ep-147-off-the-rails-22302">Click here to listen to the full episode</a></h3>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/16/10287916/the-falcons-have-jumped-the-rails-heres-a-podcast-to-talk-you-throughDave Choate2015-12-15T12:00:03-05:002015-12-15T12:00:03-05:00What we learned from Falcons-Panthers
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<figcaption>Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>That the Panthers are good, primarily, and the Falcons are not. </p> <h3>Matthew Chambers</h3>
<p><i>There are lots of problems with this team, and they extend from the coaching staff to the front office.</i></p>
<p>The 38-0 loss to the <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Carolina Panthers</a> was like a punch to the gut. This team has a lot of problems. Years of poor drafting and questionable free agency moves have zapped any depth from this team. Atlanta's talent is predominantly in <span>Matt Ryan</span> and <span>Julio Jones</span>, and Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme has prevented those two from connecting like they have in the last few years. I hope to see Thomas Dimitroff and Kyle Shanahan fired before the end of the season for so poorly mismanaging this team, but this team typically holds onto underperforming employees for too long.</p>
<h3>Kendall Jackson</h3>
<p><i>This team is in worse shape than we thought.</i></p>
<p>We knew this team wasn't perfect even when they were 5-0, but Sunday's game really showed how far any the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons" class="sbn-auto-link">Falcons</a> are from being a contender. Although they were on a five-game losing streak, Atlanta had only lost by more than four points only once during that stretch. But they weren't playing any world beaters. Once the Falcons finally faced a good team in the Panthers, they were utterly overmatched. Even with a 6-7 record, the Falcons look like the worst team in the league. The roster is largely devoid of talent, making the rebuild seem like it'll be more than just a two-year process.</p>
<h3>The DW</h3>
<p><i>This team has its work cut out for it going into next season</i></p>
<p>If you begin listing the issues on this roster - middle linebacker, offensive guard, center, wide receiver, another pass rusher - you quickly realize that it is going to be very difficult to fix all of that in a single draft and free agency. While the Falcons do have some cap space going into next year, they're still not in a position to overspend in free agency. Don't forget that the team will also be missing 2 picks in next year's draft, due to the trade for Levitre (6th rounder) and the penalty for noise-gate (5th rounder). If this team is going to be relevant next year, they're going to have to fix the holes that were exposed so badly against the Panthers. That could end up being a very tall task.</p>
<h3>Scott Carasik</h3>
<p><i>This Team is Rebuilding, Not Reloading.</i></p>
<p>As the optimist of the panel, the issues on this roster were going to take longer than a season to fix. Looking at the schedule, the Falcons had 4-5 games that they could have won had they not made the stupid mistakes at one point or another. The good thing is that another year with a high draft pick and a butt-ton of cap will be helpful. The bad thing is that it's going to take more than one or two more seasons to make this team <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl" class="sbn-auto-link">Super Bowl</a> caliber. However, if they can make some moves to fortify the interior of the offensive line, add another wide receiver for Matt Ryan to throw to and upgrade the linebackers, the Falcons could easily be a playoff team come 2016.</p>
<h3>Dave Choate</h3>
<p><i>The 2015 season is over. </i></p>
<p>We've got three weeks to go, but the Panthers beat the Falcons so badly they may as well have sent us hurtling forward in time. This season is over, and everything that happens over the next three weeks will serve only to harden fans' convictions, work for or against players and staff trying to hold on to their jobs, and move us closer to a 2017 that will hopefully be brighter.</p>
<h3>Caleb Rutherford</h3>
<p><i>The Falcons need a Braves-level roster change.</i></p>
<p>If you're not a follower of baseball, Atlanta's baseball team almost literally and figuratively traded everyone away over the past couple of years. It didn't matter if they were a fan favorite. If they were owed money, they were gone. The Falcons, if they wish to be competitive, will likely have to get rid of many players that fans like and rebuild slowly through the draft. This of course means the 2016 Falcons could be equally as poor - if not worse - than any team fielded since 2007 and beyond. It's comical to think that a team with shambles at quarterback was able to win 4 games, whereas a team with its best QB in franchise history stands to win 6 games for the second year in a row. Everyone involved with player evaluation should be shown the door, as they are the first rung in a ladder that has slowly grown the plant of demise of this team. Shanahan has shown nothing to me and should be gone as well. This team didn't just become soft, it's been soft since probably 2010, and reversing that course is going to require a complete overhaul of everyone, players included, if Dan Quinn is going to take us to a Super Bowl.</p>
<h3>Allen Strk</h3>
<p><i>Talent discrepancy between both defenses was evident.</i></p>
<p>Everyone knew that Carolina's defense was an elite unit. They possess four sure-fire studs in <span>Luke Kuechly</span>, <span>Thomas Davis</span>, <span>Josh Norman</span>, and Kawann Short. All four players were drafted as well. Norman was drafted in the fifth round of 2012 draft, which has become an infamous draft class for Falcon fans. No player remains on the roster from that draft class following <span>Lamar Holmes</span>' release. While Atlanta's defense is still rebuilding, it was pretty staggering to see them compared to Carolina's defense. Besides Desmond Trufant, there isn't one player that opposing offenses fear. Not addressing clear gaping holes at edge rusher and linebacker has left them hopeless at times this season. It was a dreadful performance that will generate even more heat on Thomas Dimitroff. As division rivals such as Carolina and Tampa Bay continue to ascend, Atlanta is still trying to recover from the amount of personnel mistakes made over the past three seasons. No team can go from 5-0 to 6-10 or 7-9 without severe consequences right?</p>
<h3>Jeanna Thomas</h3>
<p><i>This is a bad football team. </i></p>
<p>I was on 92.9 the Game for my regular weekly chat with Mitch Evans about the Falcons on the Wednesday prior to the Saints game, and I actually said on the air that I had a hard time imagining this Falcons team losing a game. They were 5-0 at that time, and the way that the Falcons had found ways to finish games was so impressive and had dramatically exceeded my expectations. Well, now we're at the point where I can't imagine this team winning another game. This is a catastrophe.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/15/10155268/what-did-we-learn-from-the-falcons-getting-destroyed-in-week-14Dave Choate2015-12-15T08:00:06-05:002015-12-15T08:00:06-05:00A puzzling week in Falcons snap counts
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<figcaption>Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The notes just keep getting angrier!</p> <h3>Offense</h3>
<p><span>Chris Chester</span>: 64 (100%)<br>Andy Levitre: 64<br>Mike Person: 64<br>Jake Matthews: 64<br>Ryan Schraeder: 54<br>Jacob Tamme: 54<br>Roddy White: 53<br>Matt Ryan: 53<br><span>Justin Hardy</span>: 48<br><span>Julio Jones</span>: 45<br><span>Devonta Freeman</span>: 43<br><span>Patrick DiMarco</span>: 21<br>Levine Toilolo: 19<br><span>Nick Williams</span>: 18<br><span>Tevin Coleman</span>: 13<br>Sean Renfree: 11<br>Jake Long: 10<br>Eric Weems: 5<br><span>Devin Hester</span>: 1</p>
<p>This is a mess this week. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> yanked Ryan late in the game to keep him from getting hurt in a blowout, while Ryan Schraeder mouthed off to a bunch of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a> and got pulled for Jake Long late, too. There's still plenty of befuddling snap counts on this list, even if you take those out.</p>
<p>Let's start with Julio being on the field less than Roddy and <span>Justin Hardy</span>. including a bizarre goal line play where he wasn't in the package. Some of that was undoubtedly resting Julio late, but with the Falcons trying to scrape together a little dignity with a score, you'd have to think Julio would be in there. Yet he was not.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Falcons continue to be unable to effectively target the receivers who are getting a ton of snaps, with Roddy picking up just four catches, Hardy getting just one, and Tamme also standing on just four. Levine Toilolo was targeted just once, and it's starting to feel like the Falcons just have a bunch of bodies at receiver and tight end who are there to mill around until Matt Ryan desperately flings it in their general direction. Beyond frustrating to watch.</p>
<p>The one positive note is that <span>Tevin Coleman</span> is finally getting some change-of-pace snaps and giving Devonta Freeman a little bit of a break. The bad news is that the two of them only wound up with a grand total of 15 carries because this was such a blowout again, and the ground game has been unfortunately quiet since Freeman returned, though I don't blame him at all for that.</p>
<h3>Defense</h3>
<p><span>Ricardo Allen</span>: 65<br><span>Justin Durant</span>: 65<br>Desmond Trufant: 64<br><span>Robert Alford</span>: 64<br>Paul Worrilow: 63<br>O'Brien Schofield: 40<br><span>Tyson Jackson</span>: 40<br><span>Kroy Biermann</span>: 39<br><span>Kemal Ishmael</span>: 31<br><span>Grady Jarrett</span>: 29<br><span>Robenson Therezie</span>: 28<br><span>Ra'Shede Hageman</span>: 28<br><span>Jonathan Babineaux</span>: 26<br><span>Vic Beasley</span>: 26<br>Philip Adams: 25<br><span>Adrian Clayborn</span>: 25<br>Brooks Reed: 24<br><span>Joey Mbu</span>: 24<br>William Moore: 6<br>Philip Wheeler: 2<br>Nate Stupar: 1</p>
<p>This is just utterly baffling. Paul Worrilow and Justin Durant are pulling down a ton of snaps out of necessity, and I understand that even if it's hurting the team at this point. But why is Joey Mbu getting 24 snaps when <span>Grady Jarrett</span>, who at least was effectively cleaving through the line at times, gets just 29? Why <i>on earth</i> is Adams back in the lineup after weeks off while <span>Jalen Collins</span> is parked back on the bench, despite the fact that the Falcons are clearly dead in the water, fell behind extremely early, and had decided Adams wasn't part of their plan? Is Brooks Reed so bad right how that he shouldn't be stealing at least a couple of snaps away from Worrilow? Where is Philip Wheeler?</p>
<p>The Falcons got annihilated on defense yesterday, especially early, and what rankles is that these snap counts reflect neither the urgent need to win or the smart usage of young players in order to develop them. <span>Phillip Adams</span> might be a little bit better than <span>Jalen Collins</span> right now, but he's almost certainly not going to return in 2016, and Collins is a second round rookie in need of development. Maybe there was some infraction we're unaware of that spurred this, but I cannot think of a single compelling football reason to sit Collins in favor of Adams.</p>
<p>The one smart thing the Falcons did (and partially out of necessity, given that William Moore got hurt) was parking Moore in favor of Robenson Therezie and Kemal Ishmael. The writing is on the wall for Moore at this point, and the Falcons need to figure out if they're going to give Therezie in particular a shot at a starting gig down the line.</p>
<h3>Special Teams</h3>
<p>Kemal Ishmael: 23<br>Nate Stupar: 23<br>Kroy BIermann: 19<br>Patrick DiMarco: 16<br>Phillip Adams: 14<br>Jalen Collins: 14<br>Levine Toilolo: 13<br>Robenson Therezie: 13<br>Devin Hester: 11<br>O'Brien Schofield: 11<br>Eric Weems: 10<br>Ricardo Allen: 10<br>Desmond Trufant: 7<br>Tony Moeaki: 7<br>Robert Alford: 7<br>Grady Jarrett: 7<br>Ra'Shede Hageman: 6<br><span>Matt Bosher</span>: 6<br>Adrian Clayborn: 6<br>Paul Worrilow: 6<br>Tyson Jackson: 6<br>Nick Williams: 5<br><span>Josh Harris</span>: 5<br>Justin Hardy: 4<br>Philip Wheeler: 4</p>
<p>At this point in the season, what these special teams counts tell you is who you should keep an eye on next year for special teams. Kroy Biermann has been a valuable run defender and core special teamer, and that means there's a decent shot he'll be back, in my mind. Kemal Ishmael is a cheap reserve safety with a ton of special teams value, so he'll be back. Nate Stupar is not an awful linebacker and plays a ton on this side of the ball, so he could be back.</p>
<p>As long as Keith Armstrong is here, he'll likely get to pick a handful of guys he feels offer tremendous value on the unit, and I think the three in the paragraph above are most likely safe for 2016 based on his preference. I guess we'll see.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/15/10113860/falcons-vs-panthers-snap-counts-and-angry-notes-for-week-14Dave Choate2015-12-14T15:00:02-05:002015-12-14T15:00:02-05:00The NFC South and existential questions
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<figcaption>Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Are we all alone out here? </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> lost again, and man, sometimes the footbal team you invest a lot of time and energy and care into disappoint you terribly, and you start wondering if perhaps everything you experience on a daily basis is equally out of your control and fraught with terror and heartbreak. Then you look at the NFC South standings, and you know it is so.</p>
<h3>NFC South Standings</h3>
<p><b><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a>: 13-0<br><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Buccaneers</a>: 6-7<br>Falcons: 6-7<br><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Saints</a>: 5-8</b></p>
<p>The Panthers are one of the best teams in football, and they just defeated the Falcons by an indescribably painful score of 38-0. Perhaps they are <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> bound, and will reach that ultimate moment of triumph that fan will never forget, except when the team becomes terrible again and they promptly do forget, because even these victories are merely ephemeral. For the moment, though, they have clinched the division and are on top of the football world.</p>
<p>The Buccaneers beat the Falcons and put themselves in a great position to chase a playoff spot, and then they lost to the Saints, who are a miserable football team in their own right. Will the Buccaneers be doomed to a purgatory of tantalizing victories followed by crushing defeats, forever grasping for playoffs that are just outside of their reach? As long as Lovie Smith remains coach, we say yes.</p>
<p>The Falcons, meanwhile, are a living testament to the idea that loving one football team your entire life is an exercise in futility. They hired a new head coach, invested in some key free agents, overhauled their schemes on both sides of the ball and managed to get crushed by the admittedly improved Panthers by an even worse score than they were crushed at the end of last year. There is no basement for this team, which regularly forces us to confront questions of mortality, and whether we will be alive when they are great enough to win a Super Bowl.</p>
<p>The Saints are merrily ruining others' seasons even as they fiddle aboard a ship sinking into a cesspool. Sean Payton will almost certainly be gone, <span>Drew Brees</span> is winding down a Hall of Fame career, and they may be bad for a long time even in this division, which is a veritable buffet of mediocrity outside of the one team that scrabbles frantically to the top every year. All hail football!</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/14/10045570/nfc-south-standings-what-is-the-meaning-of-lifeDave Choate2015-12-14T10:00:04-05:002015-12-14T10:00:04-05:00Humiliating defeat showcases lack of overall talent
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<figcaption>Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Red zone failures, weekly turnovers, and criticism of Kyle Shanahan have become weekly talking points. Carolina ended that discussion with another emphatic blowout victory. </p> <p>It was nearly one year ago when Atlanta faced off against Carolina for the NFC South crown. Momentum was somewhat high following their win over New Orleans, or as Arthur Blank described it, "we kicked the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Saints</a>' ass." With the home crowd energized, many felt that Atlanta was going to somehow sneak into the playoffs. Four quarters later, an absolute beatdown was over, and <span>Mike Smith</span> was quickly fired.</p>
<p><span>Cam Newton</span> had one of the better games of his career. The defense sacked Matt Ryan seven times to go along with three turnovers. It was reminiscent of the 2012 playoff loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a>. An overwhelmed offensive line and defense that couldn't get off the field on third down correlated into an unforgettable abomination of Smith's final game as head coach.</p>
<p>With Carolina emerging as the best team in the NFL, Atlanta has faded towards another disappointing season. <a href="http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/13/10021158/falcons-vs-panthers-2015-our-staff-predicts-a-loss">Expectations weren't high</a> going into this game, especially after last year. A respectable performance would have been accepted. It was only last week when a below-average Saints team pushed the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a> to the brink, and NFC South games tend to be very competitive.</p>
<h3>Undisciplined and horrendous display</h3>
<p>That wasn't the case, as Atlanta was pulverized from the start. <span>Jonathan Stewart</span> had open running lanes on most of his ten carries. Paul Worrilow was repeatedly out of position. William Moore looked extremely slow trying to chase Stewart in the open field, before injuring his ankle. Paul Soliai was clearly missed, as Atlanta's interior was getting pushed around.</p>
<p>When they wanted to hit back, it didn't come between the whistles. O'Brien Schofield blatantly took a shot at Newton, and Ryan Schraeder was <a href="http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/13/10027194/falcons-0-panthers-38-atlanta-drops-to-6-7-after-being-blanked-in">benched</a> for jawing with multiple Panther players. The <a href="http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/football/hageman-cox-get-into-sideline-shoving-match/npjDR/">destruction continued</a> with Ra'Shede Hageman shoving Bryan Cox on the sidelines. Discipline continues to be a prevalent issue on a team that consists of far too many average to below-average players and raw prospects.</p>
<p>Questioning the team's effort would be harsh. The defense was still playing relatively hard when the game was over in the second half. What yesterday's debacle revealed was Carolina exceeding Atlanta at almost every position. From the speed of their linebackers to unity on the offensive line, it's pretty remarkable to see the talent discrepancy between the two teams.</p>
<h3>Several players exploited</h3>
<p>Carolina was mocked for depending on <span>Michael Oher</span> to protect <span>Cam Newton's</span> blindside. The often-ridiculed left tackle has been adequate this season. When you look at Atlanta's last-minute trade for Andy Levitre and inserting Mike Person into the starting lineup, those two moves have been responsible for a huge chunk of Atlanta's troubles up front. Opposing defenses have been successful running basic stunts and A-gap blitzes during their losing streak.</p>
<p>Levitre and Person have been mainly responsible for both issues. <span>NaVorro Bowman</span>, <span>D'Qwell Jackson</span>, <span>Anthony Barr</span>, <span>Kwon Alexander</span>, and <span>Thomas Davis</span> are on the list of linebackers that have produced sacks against Atlanta. The linebacker sack streak is currently at five games. While Devonta Freeman and <span>Tevin Coleman</span> have struggled in pass-protection, Person has to take responsibility as well. Nobody will forget <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/minnesota-vikings/0ap3000000590270/Falcons-Matt-Ryan-loses-ball-on-Anthony-Barr-hit">his blunder</a> against Minnesota in a critical situation.</p>
<p>There is no need to fully dissect the lack of receiving options. It has been epeated on The Falcoholic for weeks now. This issue has received national recognition with <a href="https://twitter.com/billbarnwell">Bill Barnwell </a>writing a <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14328827/matt-ryan-receivers-not-doing-their-share-nfl">long, detailed feature</a> about Matt Ryan's lackluster season. With the game already getting away from them, they couldn't give Freeman a hefty workload. Not being able to utilize the second-best playmaker within your offense isn't a good recipe to beat an undefeated team. The offense will need to make major upgrades at several key positions this off-season. With three more games remaining, nothing extraordinary is going to occur.</p>
<h3>Coverage breakdowns can't be overcome<br>
</h3>
<p>Teams should never be shut out, but the defense's first half performance was far more discouraging. <span>Robert Alford</span> played the worst game of his season. While Ted Ginn got away with an <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/carolina-panthers/0ap3000000599711/Can-t-Miss-Play-Ginn-off-to-the-races">obvious push-off</a>, it doesn't erase the two other penalties for illegal contact. Alford has quietly been one of Atlanta's most dependable players on defense this season. Similar to practically everyone on defense, his performance was reminiscent of the 2014 season. Poor positioning against bigger receivers and constantly grabbing speedy wide receivers downfield were Alford's two biggest flaws last season. That showed up yesterday against the likes of Ted Ginn and <span>Devin Funchess</span>.</p>
<p>Coaching deserves some blame as well, especially involving Ginn's second touchdown. Carolina ran a <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/carolina-panthers/0ap3000000595790/Panthers-Cam-Newton-hits-Ted-Ginn-Jr-for-45-yard-TD">similar design</a> with him last week against the Saints. As Brandon Browner played off coverage, it allowed Ginn to be matched up against <span>Stephone Anthony</span>. They had Ginn run the <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/carolina-panthers/0ap3000000599791/Panthers-Cam-Newton-finds-Ted-Ginn-for-46-yard-TD">same route</a> yesterday, which allowed him to be matched up against Philip Wheeler. Both teams failed to provide safety help for their overmatched linebackers. Unless they were depending on Ginn to drop another wide-open touchdown, it was baffling to see Carolina have success with an identical play call for the second consecutive week with the same player. <span>Ricardo Allen</span> should have provided more help or Desmond Trufant could have shifted over to prevent such an easy touchdown.</p>
<p>Simple breakdowns on both sides of the ball continue to haunt them. While nitpicking coaching decisions will always be a weekly norm following any loss, the lack of talent continues to be exposed. Carolina has emerging superstars such as <span>Kawann Short</span> and Josh Norman. They've joined <span>Luke Kuechly</span> and Thomas Davis amongst the elite at their respective positions. Key contributions from veterans such as <span>Jared Allen</span> and <span>Charles Tillman</span> have been beneficial. <span>Kurt Coleman</span> has emerged into a playmaker. They've assembled a unit full of reliable assets that will make plays on a weekly basis. There are more fingers on one hand than the amount of reliable assets Atlanta has on their defense.</p>
<h3>Hot seat warming up for Dimitroff<br>
</h3>
<p>Brian Billick and <span>John Lynch</span> have made statements about Atlanta's lack of talent in recent weeks. Those have to be considered as indirect shots at general manager Thomas Dimitroff. As the losing streak continues, there are going to be severe consequences. No team can go from 5-0 to 6-10 or 7-9 without some type of major change. Kyle Shanahan appears to be the popular choice, which wouldn't be surprising. Dimitroff has to be the other name considered based on underwhelming draft classes and free-agent signings that haven't developed into difference makers.</p>
<p>Soliai, Jacob Tamme, and <span>Chris Chester</span> have been decent signings, but have any high profile free agent acquisitions truly panned out over the past four seasons? Not acquiring <span>Derrick Morgan</span> was a disappointment, and <span>Steven Jackson</span> and Osi Umenyiora were underwhelming two-year moves. Besides trading for Asante Samuel, it's hard to remember the last true difference maker that Atlanta has acquired.</p>
<p>With only three games left, Dimitroff will receive plenty of attention in the upcoming weeks. The season has essentially become a showcase for younger players to develop and older players to stake their claim into possibly remaining on the team. A win would significantly help from a morale standpoint, but nothing will ease the long-term outlook. Atlanta is several notches below the likes of Carolina and Arizona, and change is imminent. Today confirmed that those changes will be need to be taken to greater lengths for them to compete with the upper echelon in the NFC.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/14/10056536/lack-of-talent-exposed-in-humiliating-defeat-as-the-off-seasonAllen Strk2015-12-14T09:32:03-05:002015-12-14T09:32:03-05:00Dan Quinn gets a vote of confidence from Blank
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<figcaption>Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's all a matter of perspective. </p> <p>Votes of confidence for head coaches are either a good sign that an owner is standing behind his guy, or the first visible sign of unrest behind the scenes, the kind that spurs an owner to express a level of confidence he might not have. The problem is that we rarely know which is which until later.</p>
<p>Arthur Blank has given Dan Quin<a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14363725/atlanta-falcons-owner-arthur-blank-says-dan-quinn-safe-slide"> a vote of confidence</a><a target="_blank" href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/12/14/arthur-blank-has-complete-confidence-in-dan-quinn/"></a>, as you may have expected.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Blank was asked about Quinn's status in the context of an online story that mentioned numerous possible head-coaching vacancies following the 2015 season.</p>
<p>"I didn't read it. I didn't write it. I'm not thinking it,'' Blank said. "I don't know anything about it. And most importantly, I'm not thinking that."</p>
<p>[...]</p>
<p>"I've got complete confidence in Dan," Blank told ESPN.com following his team's <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791604">38-0 loss</a> to the undefeated <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/car/carolina-panthers">Carolina Panthers</a>. "He's going to be a great head coach for us for many years."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On one hand, it's patently absurd that this possibility has even come up, considering we knew Dan Quinn was not inheriting the perfect roster, and that the coach the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> waited a long while for isn't likely to be fired 13 games in, no matter how bad some of those games have been. On the other hand, of course, the Falcons just lost 38-0 to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a> and look absolutely dismal, and in a churn and burn era, you have to expect the question.</p>
<p>For my money, Blank's being straight with us here. He likely has no plans to hire a coach that wowed the organization, even if nobody in the front office or on Quinn's staff should be feeling particularly safe at the moment. It is worth remembering that plans can change quickly even for teams with good intentions, and if the Falcons are still a smashed-in pumpkin on top of a mound of garbage in 2016, we'll have to start weighing statements like these a little more carefully.</p>
<p>For now, the Falcons have to endure three more weeks of the 2015 season.</p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/14/10104708/arthur-blank-gives-dan-quinn-dreaded-welcome-vote-of-confidence-afterDave Choate2015-12-14T08:00:05-05:002015-12-14T08:00:05-05:00Falcons embarrassed by Panthers
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<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Everything is awful. </p> <p>We're at the point where the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> are so bad and so embarrassing that I simply don't have a ton to say about them. They got blown off the field by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a>, they are now sub-.500 and their season is dead, and Dan Quinn has gone from ballyhooed hire to man who probably needs to win in 2016 to stick around for the new stadium. There are tire fires raging years at a time that are giving off less heat and fewer terrible smells.</p>
<p>There's no question that the Falcons have major re-tooling to do in the offseason. They had the look of a team that could have hung in a shaky NFC South, but instead Carolina has been truly excellent and the Falcons have been on a steady downward trajectory ever since Week 5, looking like one of the worst teams in the NFL thanks to a combination of poorly play and mediocre coaching. They were outgunned from the very beginning of this one, with the defense wilting and the offense looking completely inept thanks to poor pass protection, poor passes, and a mediocre ground game. We have come face to face with the fact that this coaching staff isn't (yet) good enough, the talent level on this team is worse than I think most of us expected it to be, and we can't count on sudden improvement. The team's best road forward is to take a cool, critical eye to the team, cut away dead weight and free up money, and push for effective complements to the players they believe in.</p>
<p>Given that, there are few changes that would surprise me at this point. As at least one member of the writing staff here at The Falcoholic put it, "burn it to the ground." There will be more familiar faces leaving this offseason, for certain, with Kyle Shanahan, Thomas Dimitroff, <span>William Moore</span>, and others looking like potential cuts. It may look like a tall order to achieve success after that game, but I think everyone involved with this team understands that if the Falcons can't get better in a hurry, there's going to be an awfully empty new stadium in 2017. That breeds urgency, but Atlanta's best course is to figure out who belongs, be patient and wise, and try to create a team that is capable of winning for years to come. If they don't receive the fanbase's patience and gratitude for that approach, well, they've lost that patience and goodwill for good reasons.</p>
<p>On to the (abbreviated) recap.</p>
<h3>The Good</h3>
<ul>
<li> <span>Matt Bosher</span> pinned the Panthers inside their own ten yard line twice. </li>
<li>The pass rush actually got home in this one, on occasion!</li>
<li>????<br> </li>
</ul>
<h3>The Ugly</h3>
<ul>
<li>The offense is such a mess it's almost comical. <span>Matt Ryan</span> is making bad throws, the offensive line is collapsing, they can't run effectively, and they're calling plays where the obvious option on a 3rd and 5 is a three yard route across the middle.You can blame almost everybody to an extent, from Kyle Shanahan's weird play calling to Ryan's shaky throws to the poor pass protection to the receivers being unable to get open quickly to those fans who didn't wear their jerseys inside out like they were supposed to. <br>
</li>
<li>The defense needed to come right out and make a statement against Carolina, and they did. Unfortunately, the statement was "we can't contain <span>Jonathan Stewart</span> or Greg Olson," and the Panthers marched right down the field. Nice plays by <span>Grady Jarrett</span> and <span>Kroy Biermann</span> were ruined by lousy effort and O'Brien Schofield's roughing the passer call. You can quibble with the penalties, but the important takeaway was that the defense simply didn't look capable of stopping the Panthers. <br> </li>
<li> <span>Robert Alford</span> committing a penalty and still allowing a 70-plus yard touchdown to Ted Ginn Jr. was awful, and it came with Alford seemingly slowing to a halt after the catch actually happened. Just a horrendous effort by a player who had been pretty good all year. <br> </li>
<li>This team is a disaster. Arthur Blank and company aren't going to overreact and fire Dan Quinn, but sweeping changes to the roster and some tweaks to the coaching staff seem inevitable. Everyone involved with this organization has to be tired of being embarrassed and ashamed all the time, and Quinn's probably got just one year to show some genuine progress. <br><br>That feels knee jerk and reactionary and wrong to think of a new coaching staff a year into something we all thought was going to be a bit of a rebuild project, but the effort and performance is so horrendous you simply can't think anything else now. You can't get absolutely blown off the field by a division rival and stand in front of fans and media and say you're headed in the right direction. At least Dan Quinn didn't try after the game. <br> </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<h3>The Wrapup</h3>
<p><b>Game MVP: </b>Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.</p>
<p><b>Theme Song:</b> What is the saddest song you know? I'm seriously asking. <b><br></b></p>
<p><b>One Takeaway: </b>This isn't going to get better until 2016, and in order to save the team, it may need to get a little worse first.</p>
<p><b>Next Week: </b>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jacksonville Jaguars</a>, who are a good bet to beat the everloving garbage out of this team. Visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Big Cat Country </a>for more.</p>
<p><b>Final Word: </b><i>Failure. </i></p>
https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2015/12/14/10026772/falcons-embarrassed-on-the-road-by-carolina-slip-under-500Dave Choate